Posts tagged “texas”

Just the Facts: by Susan Page Davis. 272 p. Published Sept 2011 by Moody Publishers. Advanced copy provided for review in electronic format, courtesy of the publishers (through NetGalley) in return for my honest opinion.

Verdict: ★★★★☆

Who Cares? Adult Inspirational Historical Fic

Short Bio (from Amazon):

The Captive Trail is second in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896. Although a series, each book can be read on its own.

Taabe Waipu has run away from her Comanche village and is fleeing south in Texas on a horse she stole from a dowry left outside her family’s teepee. The horse has an accident and she is left on foot, injured and exhausted. She staggers onto a road near Fort Chadbourne and collapses.

On one of the first runs through Texas, Butterfield Overland Mail Company driver Ned Bright carries two Ursuline nuns returning to their mission station. They come across a woman who is nearly dead from exposure and dehydration and take her to the mission.

With some detective work, Ned discovers Taabe Waipu identity. He plans to unite her with her family, but the Comanche have other ideas, and the two end up defending the mission station. Through Taabe and Ned we learn the true meaning of healing and restoration amid seemingly powerless situations.

Eyewitness Account:

I picked this up because I liked Lone Star Trail. The sequel is written by a different author, but had all the same elements I appreciated about the first – interesting historical setting (this time dealing with the Comanche, Texas settlers, and French nuns who had set up a “mission” and school for girls), decent plot, and empathetic characters. Many children were captured and raised among Native Americans during Westward Expansion, and this story is a compelling snapshot of what such a situation must have felt like to a captive.

Still loving this series, and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction and interested in this era!

Just the Facts: by Vishal Mangalwadi. 464 p. Published May 2011 by Thomas Nelson. Advanced copy provided for review in electronic format by the publisher (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest opinion.

Verdict: ★★★☆☆

Who Cares? Adult Non-Fiction (History, Christianity)

Short Bio:

Discover how the Bible became the West’s source of human rights, justice, heroism, optimism, compassion, capitalism, family, and morality.

In the 1960s many from the West went to the East in search of spiritual wisdom. The Book That Made Your World reverses the journey. Vishal Mangalwadi, an Indian philosopher, takes readers on a historical journey through the last millennium, exploring why and how the Bible reformed Europe and made the West a uniquely thinking civilization: technical and tolerant, scientific and free, just and prosperous. Readers will learn:

Why an American president puts his hand on the Bible to take the oath of a secular office

What forced British monarchs from Henry VIII to James I to submit to the Bible’s authority

This book was a fairly interesting treatise on how the Bible has influenced all aspects of our civilization (for the better). You’d expect something like this to be written by a someone of Western Judeo-Christian background, but the author is actually a native Indian who writes the book as a response to a national Indian movement claiming that the Western Christian influence impacted India negatively rather than positively. Mangalwadi juxtaposes the kinds of behavior, motives, and priorities that result from the Christian faith with the mindset of those from Buddhist/Hindu faiths. He covers a rather diverse set of subjects to explore his theory that the best parts of all civilization are the result of Christian influence – the development of science and education, the protection of life and the rights of women, and the liberty and prosperity that characterize the West.

This is one of those books that you kind of get the gist of within the first couple chapters – I found it hard to keep my interest past the second half of the book. However, it is very well written and very thought-provoking. Mangalwadi includes some personal anecdotes to make his point about the effect that other worldviews have on a society that are very provocative; the most poignant is one in which a neighbor girl is not only neglected to the point of death, but her parents refuse to let Mangalwadi and his wife offer their free help and resources to nurse her back to health (as a result of a worldview that says life is suffering and everyone has the life they deserve).

If you like history and broad discussion of civilizations, you’ll probably love this book.

Other Books Read by This Author: None.

Notable Quotes:

“When a husband is forbidden extramarital affairs, taking a second wife, or divorcing a difficult wife; when he is not allowed to hate or be harsh with her; when he is required to love and honor his wife; then his wife is empowered. She has the security to seek her dignity and rights.”

“When we believe truth is unknowable, we rob it of any authority. What is left is brute power wielding arbitrary force. Whether a person or an ethnic minority is guilty or innocent becomes irrelevant. Their right to life depends exclusively on the whims of whoever has power. Any nation that refuses to live under truth condemns itself to live under sinful man.”

Just the Facts: by Darlene Franklin. 272 p. Published August 2011 by Moody Publishers. Advanced review copy provided in electronic format by the publisher in exchange for my honest review, courtesy of NetGalley.

Verdict: ★★★★☆

Who Cares? Adult Historical/Inspirational Fiction

Short Bio:

The six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896 begins with Lone Star Trail. Judson (Jud) Morgan’s father died for Texas’ freedom during the war for independence. So when the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas (the Verein) attempts to colonize a New Germany in his country, he takes a stand against them. After Wande Fleischers’ fiancée marries someone else, the young fraulein determines to make new life for herself in Texas. With the help of Jud’s sister Marion, Wande learns English and becomes a trusted friend to the entire Morgan family. As much as Jud dislikes the German invasion, he can’t help admiring Wande. She is sweet and cheerful as she serves the Lord and all those around her. Can the rancher put aside his prejudice to forge a new future? Through Jud and Wande, we learn the powerful lessons of forgiveness and reconciliation among a diverse community of believers.

Eyewitness Account:

The last four fiction novels I’ve read have not been page turners, so it was nice to finally pick something up that I didn’t want to put down! Not only did I love the setting (Texas settlers, both “American” and German, just after the state joined the U.S.), but I loved the characters and their own personal journeys. I felt like the relationship conflict was more realistic, with just the right amount of communication struggle vs attitude hang-ups (pride, anger, jealousy, insecurity, bitterness, etc.). Some books make relationship conflict all about a lack of communication, but the characters in Lone Star Trail acted much more like my own friends and family do. I admired the way Franklin perfectly wove in the themes of prejudice and forgiveness. I finished it the day I picked it up – very well done!

Just the Facts: by Colleen Coble. 320 p. Published in 2008 by Thomas Nelson. Listened to audiobook narrated by Aimee Lilly, borrowed from my local library.

Verdict: ★★★☆☆

Who Cares? Adult Inspirational Fiction

Short Bio:

In the quiet safety of the Bluebird Ranch, old promises resurface and unexpected love brings new hope. Though tragedy has wrecked her life, Allie Siders holds on to the hope that her five-year-old daughter, Betsy, will speak again. But with a stalker out for revenge, all Allie can think about now is their safety. She must sever all ties and abandon life as she knows it. She heads to the peaceful Bluebird Ranch, nestled deep in Texas hill country, and to the only person who can help them. The ranch is a sanctuary for abused horses, and also for troubled youths: the perfect place for Betsy to grow and recover. Ranch owner Elijah DeAngelo eagerly welcomes the duo. But Rick Bailey—the ranch foreman and DeAngelo’s right hand man—hasn’t decided to let his guard down… yet. Promises made long ago soon force Rick and Allie to work together to escape danger. Will they discover love along the way?

Eyewitness Account:

I’ve been grabbing audiobooks from our library to listen to on my phone while commuting to work, and this was the second one I picked up. Texas ranch, single mom stalked by a murderer . . . sadly, it wasn’t quite as gripping as I thought it would be. If it hadn’t been something I was listening to while doing other things, I probably would have had trouble finishing it. It was a little too predictable to be really engaging – the characters were okay, but not terribly distinct from most Christian Fic heroes and heroines. It would make good summer beach reading for those who like Christian romantic fiction, seems like there are a lot of other readers out there who appreciated it more than I did.

Just the Facts: by Richard L. Mabry, M.D. 288 p. Published April 2011 by Abingdon Press. Advanced copy provided in electronic format courtesy of the publisher, through NetGalley.

Verdict: ★★★☆☆

Who Cares? Adult Medical Mystery / Inspirational

Short Bio: After the death of her husband, Dr. Elena Gardener finds herself struggling to find a job that will pay for her late husbands medical and funeral expenses – as well as escape the rumors that she euthanized him and another comatose stroke victim. She gets a seemingly golden opportunity to move away from the rumors in Dallas to a small family practice in Dainger, TX. However, picking up the pieces of her life in a small town isn’t as easy as it seems – as Elena discovers when she finds herself dealing with a tight-fisted hospital administrator who wants to strip her of ICU privileges, fending off the local womanizer, and tracking down the person who is stalking her with creepy phone calls. When yet another comatose patient dies and circumstantial evidence points to Elena, the doctor decides the only way to clear her name is to catch the perpetrator herself.

Eyewitness Account: This was a great book to sneakily read on my Kindle during an EXTREMELY BORING training class – a fast-moving plot, easily identifiable characters, and enough mystery to keep you turning pages. Even though it is the 3rd book in a medical mystery series, it works well as a stand-alone. I’d still categorize it as “mental cotton candy” though – a fun story to read, but not terribly thought-provoking or deep. Even though it is primarily a medical mystery, it includes the fairly typical romance and other overly coincidental circumstances (Elena’s love interest just “happens” to get a job in the same small town, Elena just “happens” to work at the same hospital as her dead husband’s long-lost sister, etc.). Given that blurbs often highlight this book being about the question of “mercy killings”, the book might disappoint you if you expect it to really delve into the meat of the question – rather, the narrative assumes that mercy killings are, in fact, wrong (unless you are the person authorized to pull the plug on a comatose patient’s life support) and the plot centers around discovering who did the killings.

Other Books Read by This Author: None, this is the first book I’ve read by Mabry.